Rebels ready for Force in Super opener

Date: February 11 2013

Melissa Woods

As they prepare to unleash their own backrow sensation Scott Higginbotham, the Melbourne Rebels believe the loss of injured skipper Matt Hodgson will be a huge blow for the Western Force in their Super Rugby opener on Friday night.

The Rebels host the Force at AAMI Park with Wallaby and former Queensland Red Higginbotham set to make his debut appearance for his new club.

He hasn't played in either of their trials due to a shoulder complaint.

The Force will go into the match without hard-working flanker Hodgson after he suffered a hamstring injury at training.

Melbourne skipper Gareth Delve likened the loss of Hodgson to the absence of David Pocock, who switched to the Brumbies, and veteran Nathan Sharpe, who has retired.

"Hodgo is a great player for them and has been a great leader even when they had Nathan Sharpe and Dave Pocock there last year," said Delve.

"He shone in a lot of their matches because he's a whole-hearted player who gets stuck in no matter what.

"With him out I think it will be a loss because he's been an impressive player."

Delve said Higginbotham had slotted straight in at the club and the backrow was working hard to match him.

Despite chalking up three wins from three outings against the Force, which accounts for almost half their tally of seven wins in their two seasons in the competition, the Rebels are far from complacent against the Perth-based team, who have a new coach in Michael Foley.

"We've got three wins but I think they've all been by a point so we've tended to get off a good start and then let them reel us back in for a tight finish," said Delve.

"It's obviously something we'd like to avoid while maintaining a positive record about them.

"We'd be confident going into it but we know we need to perform because it's the season opener and we want to get off to a good start."

Star Rebels fullback James O'Connor had 18 stitches in a facial wound suffered during a two-point loss in their trial against the Hurricanes on the weekend but he was back into training on Monday.

"He's not quite as pretty as he was so I think Rabs (O'Connor) might be going to push a new tough guy image," he said.

"He's earned a big of kudos from the forwards."

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